The central government has extended the deadline for companies and importers to import a total of 500,000 tonnes of raw sugar at zero duty, from June 12 to June 30.

Officials said some millers and traders had asked for this. The government has also allowed mills to import sugar from three additional ports in southern India -- Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram in Andhra and Karaikal within Puducherry. Zone-wise import quantity restrictions remain unchanged.

To ensure timely availability and to maintain the price at reasonable level, the importing mills and refineries have been given two months from the date of bill of entry or date of entry, whichever is later, to convert raw sugar into white or refined sugar.

Before this measure, the import duty was 40 per cent on sugar.